Sepsis, one of the deadliest diseases around, has an effective treatment available through intravenous Vitamin C. Dr. Paul Marik stumbled on the treatment accidentally and decided to go forward with the cure, which was instrumental in saving the life of a patient.
Dr. Marik, inspired by a study that suggested the use of Vitamin C to mitigate sepsis, believed that there were moderate chances of success and decided to attempt the treatment.
He administered an injection of intravenous Vitamin C mixed with a corticosteroid to the ailing patient. Surprisingly, the patient responded well to the treatment and was soon on her way to recovery. The treatment was also tried on other patients successfully.
What Is Sepsis?
Sepsis is a medical anomaly caused by septicemia, which is a bacterial infection in the blood. It occurs when the immune system becomes weak and releases chemicals into the bloodstream to counter the infection. However, instead of fighting the infection, these chemicals lead to inflammation in the human body.
Bacteria of the nomenclature Staphylococcus aureus (staph), Escherichia coli (E. coli), and some strains of Streptococcus are responsible for causing sepsis.
Each year, more than one million cases of Sepsis are reported worldwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more that 258,000 Americans succumb to sepsis each year. Sometimes, severe sepsis can result in septic shock, a medical emergency.
Sepsis: Symptoms And Causes
Sepsis occurs in three stages: sepsis, severe sepsis, and septic shock. Sepsis can occur when a patient is still in the hospital, recovering from a surgery or a medical procedure.
The symptoms of the disease include fever ranging from 101 degrees Fahrenheit to below 96.8 degrees Fahrenheit; a heart rate of over 90 beats per minute; and breathing rate of 20 breaths per minute. Pneumonia, kidney infections, abdominal infections, and bloodstream infections are extremely likely to cause sepsis.
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences reports that sepsis kills more people in the United States than prostate cancer, breast cancer, and HIV-AIDS combined.
Sepsis Treatment
Patients with sepsis or septic shock are best cured in the hospital. Doctors try to contain and cure the infection by keeping the body organs functioning, as well as preventing low blood pressure.
Antibiotics are administered as soon as possible and intravenous fluids are injected to maintain blood oxygen levels. Kidney dialysis or dialysis through machines may also be necessary in some cases. Surgery may also be required to eradicate damaged tissue in some treatments.
The new treatment using Vitamin C shows a lot of promise. One can only hope that this intravenous treatment successfully prevents further cases of this killer disease.
